Vaccinations and Healthy Ageing: How to Rise to the Challenge Following a Life-Course Vaccination Approach

Abstract

In the context of an ageing population, one of the major Public Health goals is to promote healthy ageing. To rise to this challenge, rethinking conventional prevention paradigms and implementing them with vaccination at all stages of life is necessary. Indeed, vaccinations are able to both prevent pathogen specific diseases and all their downstream effects and to increase overall immune system plasticity and resilience. Our aim is to discuss the obstacles and opportunities in pursuing a “life-course vaccination approach” and to highlight the role of vaccines in healthy ageing. In doing so, we address the close connections between immunology and vaccinology advances and introduce the novel concept of immune fitness. Finally, we conclude that even though vaccinology is making giant steps towards tailored vaccination strategies, more studies are needed to investigate this topic.